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Penelope Strong
Penelope Strong is a female human ranger and an NPC in the Om campaign. Summary Penelope is a ranger who lived and operated around Dunkirk. In the month of Gatekeeper, 465 she joined the Royal Explorers in a mission in the area. She was captured by a witch and transformed into a bird/human hybrid creature. She traveled to Waymere for treatment, but was held by the Grey Wizards of Waymere who held her against her will and seemed to have cloned her to take advantage of her new abilities. She was brainwashed into serving the Grey Wizards before being rescued by the Fate Fighters. Background Penelope Strong was a ranger living just outside of Dunkirk. She maintained had a small home outside the city, but usually wandered anywhere in a ten mile radius around the city hunting and trapping. She was on friendly terms with many of the townsfolk, and began an independent investigation of several missing people in Gatekeeper of 465 after her friend Jessup vanished. Transformation Later in Gatekeeper of 465, the Royal Explorers were tasked with investigating odd animal behavior in the region. They worked with Penelope and investigated during which time Penelope became aware that Fynnhanar seemed to have feelings for her. but the culprit, an witch who was performing magical experiments on animals, had captured Penelope and turned her into a bird/human hybrid. Penelope was devastated at this, and feared she would be a bird-monster forever. The Royal Explorers rescued Penelope and slew the witch, but they did not know how to reverse Penelope's condition. They offered to escort her back to Waymere, where they suspected they could get help from the Church of the Mother or perhaps the Grey Wizards of Waymere. Traveling to Waymere Penelope took the Royal Explorers up on their offer and went with them to Waymere, however while spending the might in Midway Inn, Jasper Conroy had a vision that he stated needed to be followed up on immediately. He then led the party into the woods. They encountered a pair of elves, who warned them against going to further into the area of the forest where they were headed, stating that while there was the ruins of an ancient temple, that the region was cursed and to be avoided. Steadfast, the Explorers pressed on anyway. They eventually found the temple, long since crumbled at the center of a grove of trees that appeared gnarled and twisted. The entire area appeared foreboding and creepy, but they pressed on anyway. The horses refused to proceed near the grove, and Penelope agreed to watch them while the Explorers pressed on into the fallen temple. While Penelope waited, the horses continued to be agitated due to the proximity of the grove. A group of elves, led by Rathalian came upon the scene and, given Penelope's condition, thought she was a monster attacking the horses and beat her unconscious. After the Royal Explorers emerged from the tower, however, they explained about Penelope's condition and the elves healed her and apologized to her. Seeking Help The Royal Explorers arrived in Waymere on the 30th of Gatekeeper and immediately made for the Temple of the Mother. Fynn's sister Fern had been killed in the temple and they wished to return her to life, but naturally they also sought treatment for Penelope. Unfortunately while the temple was able to return Fern to life, they could do nothing for Penelope, and suggested the Grey Wizards might be able to help her. At the request of the Royal Explorers, Atticus Brock arranged for her to be treated at the Grey Wizard's Tower. The Grey Wizards do seem to have given her the ability to transform between her human and birdlike forms, but unfortunately it appears they also held her prisoner and experimented with her magically. Their experiments appear to have created gaps in her memory and some brainwashing and they created multiple clones of her that could change shape between the two forms and would singlemindeldly carry out whatever commands the wizards gave them. Escape Due to the explosion of a gnomish stove in the kitchens of the Wizard's Tower, Penelope was able to escape, however with her memory so badly affected by the magical experimentation she suffered, she did not know where to go and was found wandering the streets of Waymere. Thankfully she was found by agents of Atticus Brock, and he took her into his own care. Free of the tampering from the mages Penelope regained her faculties soon enough, and by the 5th of Twins was well enough to travel. Fynn invited her to join them at Stonewatch Abbey and (with the literal prodding of Corin Ironcheek) the two shared a quick kiss. Journey to Stonewatch Abbey Penlope was asked by Wu to arrange to ferry a load of supplies he'd acquired to the Abbey and to arrange to for the transport and care of a flock of sheep he'd taken possession of. Thrilled to feel she had a purpose again, Penelope took to the task with gusto and even asked an old friend of hers in Waymere, Shepp Mossley, if he would be willing to sign on to tend to the sheep. She also hired two teamsters to drive the carts. Penelope, Shepp, Corin and the two wagon drovers departed Waymere for Stonewatch Abbey on the 6th of Twins, 465. On the way a grey robed wizard teleported to their location on the road and attacked them. The teamsters immediately fled and Penelope, at last given a target for all of the hardship she'd suffered at the hands of the Grey Wizards, transformed into her bird form and slew the wizard. Penelope, Corin and Shepp managed to get the cart and the flock of sheep to Stonewatch Abbey safely. Recaptured Penelope, Shepp and Corin arrived at Stonewatch Abbey to find that an exotic plant in the greenhouse had gone berserk and infected most of the inhabitants with spores. The rest of the Fate Fighters had slain the creature and cured most of the inhabitants, however two of the staff, a soldier named Wayne and a chambermaid named Bootice, had been too deeply infected. Penelope, given her familiarity with plants, offered to Jasper Conroy help examine the two, but she could not determine the nature of the infection. Jasper concocted a potion and tried it out on Wayne, only for it to kill him horrifically. Seemingly nonplussed, Jasper mixed a new potion and tried it on Bootice, with smiliar results. Witnessing this evoked unpleasant memories of being experimented on by the Grey Wizards, and Penelope went for a walk, accompanied by Shepp. While they were walking a band of five Grey Wizards teleported into the courtyard and attacked, seemingly intent on recapturing Penelope. They immediately rendered Shepp unconscious and immobilized Penelope. While the Fate Fighters engaged the wizards the black robed leader teleported back to the magic college with Penelope. The Grey Wizards seem to have resumed their experiments and enacted magical controls upon her to once again affect her memories and render her susceptible to their orders. At the Battle of Waymere Penelope, now again mentally under the control of the Grey Wizards due to a magical control collar, was present at the Battle of Waymere. She and two of her clones, all heavily cloaked, stood in bird form as bodyguards in the box of Duke Agrippa during the expected executions of several individuals who'd been wrongly convicted of treason. Penelope, under orders to slay the elf prisoners if there was an attack, went to the building they were being held and attacked, beheading the elf Tacitus. Penelope was joined by a Grey Wizard, who magically disintegrated the elf Athos, as well as a number of elite warriors as well. Fynn and Jasper (unaware that they were fighting the real Penelope and not one of her clones) were able to get the surviving elves out and Fynn later blew up the building with his magic, leaving Penelope unconscious within. Fynn later returned, however, digging Penelope out of the burning rubble and dragging her unconscious form to the sewers in the hopes that it was her. Joining the Fate Fighters Mercenary Company The Fate Fighters took Penelope back to Stonewatch Abbey where she was nursed back to health. The magical collar put on her by the Grey Wizards was removed and she was in control of her own actions again, but was deeply traumatized as with the collar on she had wanted to, and enjoyed doing, the violent acts ordered by the Grey Wizards. Wu Xen offered Penelope a position with the Fate Fighters Mercenary Company, stating that they had erected magical protections around the Abbey to protect her from being kidnapped from there again. Further Fynn gave her a magic ring that would make it impossible for someone to scry upon her. Penelope said she had no desire to be someone else's weapon again, and Wu stated that while she would be expected to defend the Abbey and its inhabitants if it came under attack, that he was more interested in her hunting and gathering abilities which would be needed to get through the coming winter, and would allow her to help the people at Stonewatch Abbey, rather than merely be a force of destruction again. After some consideration Penelope accepted the offer. Category:Om Category:Characters Category:NPCs Category:FFMC